1. Field
The embodiments described herein relate generally to particle accelerators. More particularly, the described embodiments relate to particle accelerators including more that one RF power source.
2. Description
A particle accelerator produces charged particles having particular energies. In one common application, a particle accelerator produces a radiation beam used for medical radiation therapy. The beam may be directed toward a target area of a patient in order to destroy cells within the target area by causing ionizations within the cells or by other radiation-induced cell damage.
A conventional particle accelerator includes a particle source, an accelerator waveguide and an RF (radio-frequency) power source. The particle source may comprise an electron gun that generates and transmits electrons to the waveguide. The RF power source, which may comprise a magnetron or a klystron, delivers an electromagnetic wave to a window built into the waveguide. The electromagnetic wave enters the waveguide through the window and oscillates within the waveguide. The oscillations accelerate the transmitted electrons through the waveguide.
The accelerator waveguide may include cavities that are designed to ensure synchrony between electrons received from the particle source and the oscillating electromagnetic wave received from the RF power source. More particularly, the cavities are designed and fabricated so that electric currents flowing on their surfaces generate electric fields that are suitable to accelerate the electrons. The oscillation of these electric fields within each cavity is delayed with respect to an upstream cavity so that an electron is further accelerated as it arrives at each cavity.
Conventional particle accelerators may require large amounts of power and bulky equipment to achieve the foregoing operation. Systems are desired that may provide advantages over conventional particle accelerators, whether in terms of size, weight, efficiency, and/or any other metric.